Batting tee apparatus

ABSTRACT

Improved batting tee apparatus useful in teaching the fundamentals of hitting a baseball properly. The tee includes a base that is supported on a member which simulates, or is &#39;&#39;&#39;&#39;home plate.&#39;&#39;&#39;&#39; Tubes extend upwardly from the base and are in telescoping relation for height adjustment. A rubber ball support is connected to the uppermost tube and is adapted to support a baseball. The tee apparatus may be shifted at will to various locations relative to home plate to simulate high, low, inside or outside pitches and, as a safety measure, may be easily and quickly removed from the home plate area when a runner on third base attempts to score a run. The upwardly extending tubes comprise first and second tubes wherein the upper end of the first tube is provided with an inner bushing for receiving the lower end of the second tube. The second tube is held in the first tube by a thumb screw which extends through the first tube and bushing and abuts the lower end of the second tube. The upper end of the second tube is provided with a tubular ball support. The ball support is provided with a series of spaced apart grooves to enhance frictional engagement with the second tube when telescopically inserted therein.

United States Patent 11 1 Chorey 1 BATTING TEE APPARATUS Andro ,I.Chorey, 8316 Gibson Rd., Canfield, Ohio 44406 [22] Filed: Aug. 6, 1973[21] Appl. No.: 385,842

[76] Inventor:

Primary Examiner-Richard C. Pinkham Assistant E.\'aminerT. BrownAttorney, Agent, or FirmMichael Williams 57 ABSTRACT Improved battingtee apparatus useful in teaching the 1 May 13, 1975 fundamentals ofhitting a baseball properly. The tee includes a base that is supportedon a member which simulates, or is home plate." Tubes extend upwardlyfrom the base and are in telescoping relation for height adjustment. Arubber ball support is connected to the uppermost tube and is adapted tosupport a baseball. The tee apparatus may be shifted at will to variouslocations relative to home plate to simulate high, low, inside oroutside pitches and, as a safety 'measure, may be easily and quicklyremoved from the home plate area when a runner on third base attempts toscore a run. The upwardly extending tubes comprise first and secondtubes wherein the upper end of the first tube is provided with an innerbushing for receiving the lower end of the second tube. The second tubeis held in the first tube by a thumb screw which extends through thefirst tube and bushing and abuts the lower end of the second tube. Theupper end of the second tube is provided with a tubular ball support.The ball support is provided with a series of spaced apart grooves toenhance frictional engagement with the second tube when telescopicallyinserted therein.

2 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures BATTING TEE APPARATUS BACKGROUND AND SUMMARYBatting tees are known in the prior art and have been used in LittleLeagues in the playing of the game of baseball. In such use, most of therules of the game of baseball are observed, but a notable exception isthat the pitcher does not throw the ball toward the batter and this hastwo beneficial effects. First, the pitching arm ofa very young player isnot developed to the point where it will withstand the rigors ofpitching. Many arm problems have been developed by youngsters who triedto emulate the professional players. Secondly, ball control is difficultfor a young pitcher and oft times a batter is hit by a pitched ball. Inuse of batting tees, instead of the pitcher throwing the ball, he merelyassumes a fielding relationship around the pitchers mound, and thecatcher places the ball on the batting tee for the batter to hit.

In the prior art known to me, the batting tees are usually connected tohome plate and thus present a hazard when a runner from third baseattempts to score. Further, such prior art tees are not designed tocombine light weight with sturdiness and stability. My inventionprovides a batting tee that has been engineered to provide the utmost insafety to the players, and to withstand the rigors of play.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING In the drawing accompanying this descriptionand forming a part of this application, there is shown, for purpose ofillustration, an embodiment which my in vention may assume, and in thisdrawing:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of my improved batting tee apparatus,showing a player in process of striking a ball supported on the tee,

FIG. 2 is an enlarged, longitudinal sectional view of the apparatus,with the ball support shown in full,

FIG. 3 is an enlarged, broken sectional view of the ball support, and

FIG. 4 is an enlarged, fragmentary sectional view of a detail.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT My improved batting teeapparatus comprises a base 10, preferably formed of metal, such as castaluminum. As seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, the base is preferably round in planview and slightly dished to provide an annular,

rounded lower edge 11. The base may be webbed, as shown at 12, to reducemass, and is formed with a central, upstanding socket 14. The roundedcorners of the base provide a safe support since it eliminates alldangerous sharp edges that might produce injuries. The base formed asshown in the drawing provides a lightweight support for the tee, anduniform stability in every direction.

Secured in the socket 14 is the lower end of a tube 15 which ispreferably formed of aluminum tubing to provide a lightweight but rigidpost. A set screw 16 is threaded through the wall of the socket 14 andagainst the wall of the tube 15 to hold the latter securely attached tothe base 10. The set screw is of the socket head type and of a length sothat its outer end does not extend outwardly of the socket 14 to therebyremove another element of injury.

A bushing 17 is disposed within the upper end of the tube 15 to providefor trouble-free sliding movement of a second aluminum tube 18 which istelescopically received within the tube 15. As seen in the drawing, thetube 15 preferably has a greater wall thickness than the tube 18. Thebushing 17 is preferably formed of bronze and has a press fit with theinterior of the tube 15 so that it is firmly anchored therein. As bestseen in FIG. 4, the lower end of tube 18 has an out-turned flange 19which has a sliding fit with the inner wall of tube 15 and thus steadiesthe lower end of tube 18. A thumb screw 20 is threaded through the tube15 and bushing 17 and its inner end bears against the wall of tube 18 tohold the latter in adjusted vertical position.

A resilient ball support 21 is disposed at the upper end of tube 18 andit has been found preferable to form this support of molded naturalrubber. The support is designed to provide maximum ball exposure andpositioning, and the required resilience to withstand repeated impact ofthe bat with the ball, or in cases of misses, the bat with the support.

As best seen in FIGS. 2 and 3, the support 21 comprises a lower end 22adapted to have a close and gripping fit within the upper end of thetube 18. To assist in insertion of the lower end 22 within the tube 18,a tapered pilot 23 is formed at the lower extremity. The lower end 22 ishollow, as shown at 24, so that it will be slightly compressed duringinsertion into the tube 18 and will thereafter expand into grippingrelation with the tube wall. A plurality of annular grooves 25 areformed in the lower end 22 to provide gripping edges for firm engagementwith the inner wall of the tube 18.

A rounded annular flange 26 is formed intermediate the ends of the ballsupport 21 to engage the upper end of the tube 18 and limit insertion ofthe lower end 22 into the tube. Upwardly of the flange 26, the supportis in the form of a relatively long, narrow neck 27 which tapersgradually to a slightly enlarged size, as at 28, where it is integrallyjoined to a flaring upper end 29. A conical recess 30 is formed inwardlyof the upper end 29 to provide optimum ball support and a view of theball B with a minimum of lip exposure so as not to interfere with theflight of the batted ball. It will thus be seen that the ball support 21provides a long, narrow silhouette to give the ball a greater dimensionof exposure to the view of the batter.

As seen in FIG. 1, the diameter of the base 10 is less than the width orlength of home plate H and since the base 10 merely rests on home plateit may be easily moved to various positions therein to simulate variousinside and outside pitches. Since the base 10 has uniform stability inevery direction, the batting tee apparatus will not be easily overturnedin the event the batter misses the ball and strikes the rubber ballsupport 21, and the resiliency of the latter will absorb the shock ofthe swing without imparting any shock of the blow to the batter.Further, since the entire tee apparatus is of light weight, it may beeasily brushed aside and out of the way of a runner attempting to scorefrom third base, and therefore prevent injury to the runner. In theevent that the wing screw 20 is not adequately tightened, the flared end19 of the tube 18 will prevent the latter from being inadvertentlywithdrawn from the tube 15. In this respect, it should be noted that thetube 18 is assembled by moving its upper end through the lower end ofthe base 10 and tube 15.

My improved tee apparatus may be used in the customary manner in gameplay, or it may be used out of play so that an instructor, knowledgeablein the skill of hitting a baseball, may instruct a novice to become agood hitter.

I claim:

1. An improved batting tee comprising:

a base member adapted to rest upon a surface and free of attachmentthereto, said base member having gently rounded edges about itsperiphery to minimize injury to a person in the event of upset thereof,and having an upstanding tubular socket thereon,

a first upstanding tube having its lower end received in said socket anddetachably secured therein,

a tubular bushing affixed within said tube adjacent the upper endthereof, said bushing providing an aperture of lesser internal diameterthan said tube,

a second upstanding tube telescopingly received within said first tubeand slidably engaged with said bushing, said second tube having enlargedmeans at the lower end thereof to prevent upward movement of said secondtube past said bushing,

thumbscrew means releasably locking said tubes in adjusted telescopedposition, and, an upright ball support comprising a solid rod ofresilient material having a ball-receiving pocket at its upper end, atapered lower end for frictional insertion into said second tube, saidball support adjacent said tapered lower end thereof being provided witha plurality of peripheral grooves therein to enhance frictionalengagement of the ball support with said second tube when insertedtherein, an outwardly extending flange thereon adjacent said lower endand having a diameter greater than that of said second tube for limitingthe insertion of said ball support into said second tube.

2. The improved batting tee of claim 1 wherein said base member isfurther provided with a plurality of apertures therein to reduce theweight thereof the edges of said apertures being gently rounded so as toeliminate sharp edges therefrom.

1. An improved batting tee comprising: a base member adapted to restupon a surface and free of attachment thereto, said base member havinggently rounded edges about its periphery to minimize injury to a personin the event of upset thereof, and having an upstanding tubular socketthereon, a first upstanding tube having its lower end received in saidsocket and detachably secured therein, a tubular bushing affixed withinsaid tube adjacent the upper end thereof, said bushing providing anaperture of lesser internal diameter than said tube, a second upstandingtube telescopingly received within said first tube and slidably engagedwith said bushing, said second tube having enlarged means at the lowerend thereof to prevent upward movement of said second tube past saidbushing, thumbscrew means releasably locking said tubes in adjustedtelescoped position, and, an upright ball support comprising a solid rodof resilient material having a ball-receiving pocket at its upper end, atapered lower end for frictional insertion into said second tube, saidball support adjacent said tapered lower end thereof being provided witha plurality of peripheral grooves therein to enhance frictionalengagement of the ball support with said second tube when insertedtherein, an outwardly extending flange thereon adjacent said lower endand having a diameter greater than that of said second tube for limitingthe insertion of said ball support into said second tube.
 2. Theimproved batting tee of claim 1 wherein said base member is furtherprovided with a plurality of apertures therein to reduce the weightthereof the edges of said apertures being gently rounded so as toeliminate sharp edges therefrom.